Nov. 15, 2017 may not be an earth-shattering day in music history, but it exploded one artist’s popularity from popularity-gaining, internet-famous Soundcloud rapper to cultural icon.
Lil Peep, born Gustav Åhr, passed away the night before his world tour was to finish. After posting multiple videos of himself ingesting drugs leading up to his performance that night, the rapper was found dead on his tour bus. His manager checked on him three times while he was sleeping, finding him breathing normally the first two and unresponsive the final time.
News quickly spread via social media of the 21-year-old rapper’s death, with outpouring of support coming from all over the music industry.
Lil Peep was a part of a wave of Soundcloud rappers transitioning from the music service to the bigger stage. These artists typically sported face tattoos and colorful hair; Lil Peep himself had pink hair before sporting a bleached mohawk and boasts tattoos covering his entire body, including a large “crybaby” tattoo above his right eye.
In the two years since the rapper’s passing, a posthumous album was released a week before his one-year anniversary, “Come Over When You’re Sober, Pt. 2,” following the first part album released two months before his death.
Lil Peep’s music and lyrics can be polarizing due to its content, frequently mentioning suicide, self-harm, depression and drugs. For many listeners though, the songs provide a relatable outlet.
Lil Peep’s influence has been so profound that a documentary premiered in March 2019 chronicling the rapper’s life. The film is set for a worldwide release on Tuesday before Lil Peep’s second posthumous album of the same name, “EVERYBODY’S EVERYTHING,” releases on Friday, Nov. 15.
The album features previously released Lil Peep songs and new music. Three tracks from the recent official release of his “Goth Angel Sinner EP” are featured, “Moving On,” “Belgium” and “When I Lie,” as songs previously released on mixtapes like “Cobain,” “Witchblades” and the single “I’ve Been Waiting” featuring iLoveMakonnen.
While his death preceded other popular Soundcloud rapper XXXTENTACION’s and Lil Peep had a smaller following at the time he passed, his legacy continues to live on enough that there have been 10 singles released posthumously, including “Falling Down,” featuring the aforementioned XXXTENTACION, which reached as high as 13 on the Billboard Hot 100.
It’s sad thinking about whether Lil Peep would have found the levels of fame he has achieved since his death or whether it was inevitable. His manager tweeted the news of his death, saying “I’ve been expecting this call for a year.”
Despite no longer being alive, Lil Peep continues to live on in his fans’ memories and through his music, still up to date on his Soundcloud where it all started.
By Ryan Signorino
signorra15@bonaventure.edu
